Hunters Giving Back, Just the Facts!

Each year hunters across the land give back towards improving for wildlife across this great land. Most people out there, not in the know, don’t comprehend the fact of hunters paying a 10% federal excise tax on guns and ammunition purchased each time, that is returned to states for money to fund wildlife and habitat restoration programs, and purchase additional lands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service department has accounted for over $2,000,000,000 dollars that has been returned to the states for these programs. How long has this been going on you ask, over 75 years since Congress first approved this excise tax. Surprisingly, like efforts by outdoor industries or environment agencies over the past two decades have not had the same impact or even lasted.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has recently reported a survey result that shows that hunters donated more than 11 million meals to the needy in the year 2010 alone. How hunters did this was by giving some portion or all of their wildlife meat to local food banks, soup kitchens, and local missions through many local programs in their state. These 11 million meals were made up of over 2.8 million pounds of game meat donated last year.

My state of Michigan reached a new high last year with over 50,000 pounds of game being donated to these agencies. That was up from the yearly average of 35,000 pounds. Michigan hunters and other hunters across the land have big caring hearts, as many states like my own were hard hit by the recession last year.

Midwest hunters gave the most last year as they donated 1.3 million pounds, this tallied up as 46.1% of the total donated to the needy. My Southern brethren were next, donating 1.25 million pounds or 45.7%. Northeast hunters tallied 7.2%, and Western hunters about 1%.

Processors direct the game meat to a local church or shelter, which often keeps the bulk of the venison in the community. Let’s also take the time next visit to your processor and thank them for participating in many of these fine programs. Some are paid, but many donate their labor for this needy cause. Hunters can donate even 1 or 2 pounds instead of the entire animal, and many hunters may not be aware that this type of donation is possible.

Many processors are paid about 80 cents per pound for processing of donated meat if the entire animal is donated. Michigan Sportsman against Hunger (MSAH) has arranged with the State of Michigan, to have all license vendors ask each time a game, trapping, or fishing license is sold if the sportsman wishes to donate $1 for this cause. These dollars add up as most of the processing is paid for by this donation method.

*This article is a synopsis of the Kalamazoo Gazette Outdoors column printed on November 20, 2011 and written by Howard Meyerson. www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org